Chapter
Nine
THERE were many astounded witnesses to Lazarus's preposterous, death-defying walk out of the dark tomb, and indeed many, like Martha, seeing with their own eyes, believed on the man and the miracle they saw.
But others did not.
A few days after what seemed to Martha a time of constantly cooking everything in sight of the ravenously hungry Lazarus, a small dark and forbidding cloud floated onto their horizon and overshadowed their newly found joy.
Claudius was the first to speak openly about it with them.
Martha had always assumed his arrivals in Bethany routinely coincided with Jesus' visits, but later, when he came unannounced and by himself, Martha suspected it was not totally Jesus or even she or Lazarus which drew or held his interest. The village gossipers had already begun to comment on the tribune's slightly moonstruck look whenever Mary was about.
But this day Claudius was grim, and his stern countenance matched the authority of his short red uniform, his brass helmet, and the gleaming sword which hung at his side.
His large frame was looming above Mary and Lazarus in the courtyard when Martha saw him. As she reached them, Claudius was saying, "Yes, on the day of your resurrection, Lazarus, many did believe, but, my friends, there were others who carried their angry, alarmed reports directly to the Sanhedrin in Jerusalem." He spit out his words contemptuously.
"Those hypocritical men in that council — they meet in a spirit of hate and perplexity. They cannot deny that a miracle has transpired which has restored your life, Lazarus, but they will
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not believe on him who performed it.
"Right now they can only surmise with considerable dread, about the ever-growing influence of Jesus. They fearfully conjecture that Jesus will use this raising of Lazarus to proclaim himself a king. Then, of course, every one of the old foxes realized that if Jesus does take his throne as king, the Roman government will have to intervene. If that happens, their political existence could be annihilated. Even now it's severely threatened.
"One of my Roman friends reported that the Sanhedrin vainly raged in impotent discussions until Joseph Caiaphas addressed them. How vile that man is!" Claudius smote his fists together as if he wished Caiaphas had been a small fly smashed upon impact.
"But he is our high priest!" Lazarus put forth, implying the goodness and holiness of the office.
"It means nothing," Claudius retorted agitatedly. "Ever since Valerius Gratus made him high priest nine or ten years ago, replacing Annas, you Jews have hoped the sincerity of heart, the gift of prophecy, and the holy honor would still linger upon the priesthood. But I tell you, it is not so with Caiaphas. As your Rabbi Ben Isaiah has privately said, 'The glory of the Lord has departed from this one!'
"My friend Phileros, whose presence was not detected, saw and heard with his own eyes and ears the diabolical plot of that old snake, Caiaphas, when he spoke a few days ago.
"He said Caiaphas arrogantly stood before the Sanhedrin and with a shameless avowal of his most selfish and unjust policies, haughtily told everyone that all their proposals about Jesus' fate were words of mere ignorance. 'Fools' he called them. Then loudly he hissed that the only thing to do about this man was to sacrifice the victim!"
"But," Mary searched Claudius's face for answers, "did no one speak in defense of Jesus? Was there not one who stood up for him or told of the wonders he performs?" she asked.
"Yes, two men tried," Claudius said, "but old Elias added wood to Caiaphas's fire by saying he'd heard it rumored that Jesus was planning to use the Passover festival to declare himself the King of Israel.
"Murmurs of agreement rose from everyone there, for they
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already knew that large masses of people follow Jesus even now.
"Finally, before it was settled, two men — Joseph of Arimathea and Rabbi Nicodemus — tried to change Caiaphas's mind, but it was all in vain.
"Even Joseph's argument that Jesus had publicly stated that his kingdom was not of this world went unheeded.
"Nicodemus went on record to say he had heard the Nazarene preach, and he had seen with his own eyes sick men, women, and children healed once they were touched by him. My friend Phileros said there was a shocked and appalling silence that followed when Nicodemus ended his plea by suggesting they all consider that Jesus might be who he said he was — the Messiah. Someone shouted, 'Never!' and then many cried that Jesus was a blasphemer. At that point, Phileros said, that chamber was filled with one heated argument after another. 'Blasphemy! Jesus is guilty of blasphemy!' Their words became angry screams.
"Caiaphas raised his hands to stop the cacophony and gradually they settled down in an uneasy silence to listen.
"Caiaphas dismissed all dissenting arguments. He did not even pause to investigate or define the victim's innocence or guilt, nor did those who sat before him. They simply accepted, unhesitatingly, Caiaphas's voice of authority, and with only Joseph and Nicodemus as exceptions, the Sanhedrin council agreed to a secret order which decreed that Jesus must be put to death.
"However," Claudius wearily continued, "within hours, Phileros told me their badly kept secret of a human sacrifice was out. Now Jesus lives with a price on his head."
Claudius walked away leaving them with their faces clouded in fearful disbelief, and he sank down heavily on a marble bench beside a flowering oleander bush.
The three of them just stared at Claudius as he held his head in hands.
Lazarus was the first to break the morning's stillness. "I can not believe they will actually carry out their vile and evil threat."
A low groan escaped from Claudius's chest, and he murmured,
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"It is no idle threat, and they will carry it out, my friend. They will."
"No, it cannot be," Lazarus asserted. "According to the law now, we, the people of Israel, may put a lamb or a goat to death, but not a man. Caiaphas cannot bring about Jesus' death."
"Then I must remind you," Claudius said slowly, "that while Israelites are not allowed to carry out the death penalty in this occupied country, we Romans know no such limitations.
"Caiaphas and the whole Sanhedrin can pronounce Jesus guilty and condemn him to death. Then all they have to do is present the charges to Pilate, and the Roman government will carry out the sentence at their own discretion. They can even decide what degree of punishment — from a light scourging with the whip to... crucifixion." He finished that last word softly.
"But we know from Lazarus's glorious return, beyond a shadow of any doubt, that Jesus holds the power of life and death in his own hands. I say he will not allow Caiaphas, his men, or soldiers to take him." Martha spoke the words and was firm and practical in her thinking.
Up to this point in the conversation, Mary had stood by listening with her lovely blue eyes clouded with questions and fearful thoughts. Then quietly but clearly, she jarred their memories.
"What we seem to be forgetting is that Jesus himself has continually alluded to his death. Has he not stated privately to several that he is to die, that he will not always be with us? I wonder if he already knows Caiaphas's plan and has accepted it as a part of his destiny for some reason."
Mary's insight was beyond sorting out; so for a moment they were simply quiet, each of them wrapped in his own thoughts. The turtledoves continually cooed their murmuring, for the news did not disturb their morning rituals.
Claudius returned them to reality by saying, "I don't know if Jesus has known before of their plans, but I am sure he knows now as he has already departed from Jerusalem."
There was a sharp intake of air from the three of them, and with their eyes they questioned him for more details.
Claudius was holding his helmet, and he fidgeted with the plume of bristles on it as he spoke. "I saw Andrew before the
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sun rose today. He was gathering provisions for their journey. He said to tell you in secret that their destination is the obscure little village of Ephraim on the edge of the desert. He also cautioned me to tell no one else of their whereabouts."
Then, directly to Martha, Claudius said, "Andrew sends you his salutations, and he gave me this message. He said, 'Tell Martha to keep singing.' I don't know quite what he meant by that.
Mary stopped a small giggle midthroat, and Martha blushed as crimson as a sunset.
"I didn't know you sang, Martha," Lazarus said grinning.
"I really don't," she muttered and turned her head so he wouldn't see that her eyes had brightened at Andrew's message.
Mary hugged her sister, and winking over Martha's shoulder, she said to Lazarus and Claudius, "She doesn't sing for just anybody! Only Andrew!"
Their merriment was short-lived, because Claudius said, "I suspect if the disciples and the Master ever needed a song it is now."
A disturbing silence fell about them. "I hated to see them leave, " Claudius continued, "but my army discipline and training in the art of soldiering confirms that their move is a wise one. I do not see how anyone could protect Jesus from death if he continued his public ministry so openly among the vast throngs of people."
The doves finally silenced their cooing as the heat of spring began to settle down around them in the courtyard; so with Martha leading the way, the four of them retreated to the cool interior of the great stone house.
For the rest of the day and even after Claudius had gone back to his headquarters in Jerusalem, the brother and his two sisters huddled together praying and reasoning over the strange turn of events concerning their friend and Lord.
Martha noted with some relief that life went on for the next few weeks with a return to some normalcy — if indeed it could ever go back to the old way, what with Lazarus filled to the brim and overflowing with all the good health he never had. A brief smile flickered across her face as she thought about his newly
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awakened life. In fact, Lazarus began putting on weight which was partly due to his enormous appetite and partly because of Naomi and Martha's gleeful devotion to making up for all the years he idly picked at their cooking.
While thoughts of Jesus never left their minds, they couldn't help but be caught up and consumed by the euphoric joy of seeing this beloved one. Lazarus had been so frail and sickly, but now he was not only alive but bursting with a healthy countenance and frame!
Spring was fully upon them all. To Lazarus, it was his first season of good health, and he took full advantage of his strength. Together with Joseph, he tramped over the countryside inspecting fields and searching for newborn lambs that might need assistance. His days were long, rich, and full of captured dreams.
To Mary, ordinary days glittered with wonderment, but spring days were shouting festivals of joy! Now with Lazarus alive and well it also meant a time of rapturous praising to God and a time of discovering all the flowers which were bursting with fragrant blooms. She listened to baby birds valiantly trying out their new voices, and several times she roamed the back hills, carrying her sandals in her hand, so she could feel the newness of spring as she walked barefoot in the velvetlike emerald green grass.
Spring, to Martha, was all of those things too, but only in a small way. To her spring meant one thing and one thing alone — cleaning!
Clearly she reveled in it and thoroughly looked forward to it. By the time the Passover feast would arrive, her house would be ceremoniously, religiously, and immaculately clean. It would also "sparkle and shine enough to blind a person" as Lazarus had often said.
It was true, but Martha felt a new exuberance about the whole thing. Washing, cleaning, and polishing were things a person could do and really get his teeth into. It was practical, and it was needed; so spring cleaning was rewarding to her sense of doing. She loved it. Together with the servant girls, Martha worked tirelessly, and no nook or cranny was left untouched .
Over the years, Deborah, Leah, and Tabitha had collected lovely treasures for their labors. Always after Passover, Martha
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put action to her appreciation, and the gifts she bought the girls made the long hours of their work seem like only fleeting moments.
This spring Martha gave herself to cleaning with a new abandonment. It was while Tabitha was holding a small carpet, and was flailing away at it with a sturdy stick that Tabitha ventured, "You are really enjoying this cleaning, aren't you, Mistress."
The dust Martha was beating out of the rug was getting into their clothes, hair, eyes, and mouths. Martha stopped, looked over at Tabitha and then down at her own dress, and laughing, said, "I'm taking this too seriously again, I see."
The two women walked back into the house with several small carpets in their arms, and Martha confided, "Tabitha, it's just that I have this feeling."
"What feeling, Mistress?"
"Well, I think this year during Passover, Jesus and his men will have the Paschal Supper here with us in Bethany. I believe he will come here to celebrate. He has not said he would, and I don't know why I feel this so strongly, but I do."
"Ah," sighed Tabitha. "That is why we are working so hard and falling on our pallets at night like dead flies."
In the days that followed, Martha gave herself to cleaning, but as the house began to shine from her efforts, she began to spend more time checking the front entrance and outer courtyard. She was so sure they would come, she didn't want to miss the first glimpse of Jesus or his men.
Many of her thoughts during the day were of Jesus, but at night, when all was quiet, she was haunted by other thoughts.
Always she wondered about Lazarus's four days in the tomb. What was it like? Was he alone and cold? Was he afraid? On and on the questions paraded before her.
She decided it was unseemly of her to ask; yet never had anyone known a person to return from the grave. So she reasoned, Why not? It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity — but what if my questions embarrass him, and he refuses to answer?
Finally, when she could stand it no longer, at an evening meal when the last bite of lamb stew had been finished, and the delicate
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spice and honey cakes had melted away in their mouths, Martha boldly began her questions. It was what all the rest of them wanted to know but were too timid to ask.
Their friends, the widow Hannah and the neighbor Simon, were guests that evening, and since they were old friends, Martha decided to go ahead and speak her mind.
"My brother," she began, "I do not want to offend you or cause you any distress, but we have never known or spoken to anyone who has come back from the place of waiting. Our curiosity blows through us like a strong wind. Tell us what it is like to die." When no one spoke she added, "So when our time comes we may meet death with a knowledgeable dignity."
Her statement, perfectly phrased, suddenly set off an avalanche of inquiries from the others, and their questions about his dying tumbled out.
Mary asked immediately, "Did you see Mother and Father?"
"Was it dark and cold?" queried Simon.
"Were you frightened and alone?" This from the widowed heart of Hannah.
"Did you see God?"
"Wait," Lazarus cried and in good humor held his hands over his ears. When they settled into stillness, he apologized. "Forgive me, I should have known you would wonder, and I should have told you about it before this."
"Begin at the beginning," said Mary, her hands clasped under her chin, elbows perched on the table, and her eyes wide with anticipation.
"The beginning? Ah, yes. You were singing that silly but wonderful song about Jesus coming to our house. I was listening when I slowly realized I was not in pain whatsoever. It was a new experience for me, and it was a very peaceful thing to simply lie there listening to your voice.
"Then your song faded away; so I looked over to see why you had stopped, but instead my eyes saw a most wondrous sight!
"Mother and Father were standing at the end of my pallet! Their faces were wreathed in loving smiles, and they beckoned me to get up and go with them."
"You really did see them? You were with them?" Mary's
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eyes were spilling over with tears, and the others listened with enraptured ears. He nodded yes.
"You were not afraid — even though you knew they were both dead all these many years?" Martha questioned.
"Oh, no, there was not the slightest fear, only a growing feeling of anticipation which seemed to fill my soul. It was rather like the times I remembered from when we were small and would be getting ready to travel northward to the beautiful seashore of Capernaum. I felt that same excited desire to get started.
"It was a strange moment, for while I lay there on my pallet, my spirit seemed to leave me, and it rose to meet them. It was as if I shed my physical body like a butterfly coming out of its cocoon. No pain, no fear — just an incredibly peaceful transition, and in front of me were the open, waiting arms of our beloved parents."
"Where did they take you?" Simon's choked voice whispered.
"To a distant mountain, and while I'm not sure how they took me, suddenly we were standing before gigantic iron gates which stood like sentinels before the mouth of a tunnel in the side of large, barren mountain.
"Slowly the gates opened, and as we walked down the tunnel to an enormous underground cave, we were welcomed by many, many people. I couldn't begin to see everybody, there were so many, but the place felt warm and secure. And the people — oh, the people — they were beautiful. They were saints of God."
"Sheol is believed to have two subterranean parts: one place called Paradise or Abraham's bosom, for the righteous; and the place other for unrighteous," Simon said, to see if his religious training had been correct. Then he asked, "Did you see the other place?"
"No, but I had no doubt that where I was had to be Abraham's bosom, for the peace of God rested on each person like a warm woven cloak," Lazarus said, shaking his head.
"How did you pass the time of day?" Mary asked.
"That's just it, my sister. There was no passing of time — no
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sunrise or sunsets, no need to eat or sleep. Our souls just talked and fellowshipped with one another. That is why at the tomb, I had to ask you how long I had been gone. I had no way of knowing."
"You weren't cold or lonely, then?" Hannah looked intently at Lazarus as she asked the question out of the depths of her grieving heart.
"No, not at all. It was, as I said, a warm, friendly place, and there seemed to be no danger or evil anywhere or in anybody."
Martha leaned forward, "You sound almost as if you would have liked to remain there."
He flashed an affectionate smile at her before answering, "You may be right about that, my sister, for during my stay in Sheol, beside the wonderful people I was with and the joy of being reunited with our parents, I experienced the first moments of wholeness in my body. To be without pain or weakness after so many years — well, it is hard to describe."
He stopped as he suddenly remembered what he wanted to tell Martha. He startled her by grabbing her arm. "I meant to tell you this sooner, Martha. I saw Benjamin."
She winced with the sharp pain that pinched her heart.
"Do you remember how badly Benjamin and our father were torn apart by the chariot and horse's hooves?"
"Oh, that I could forget that hideous sight, Lazarus. Even yet I see them in my dreams." She held her hand to her breast to ease the pain. A surge of sour nausea filled her mouth.
"Well, my Martha," Lazarus's face was radiant, "I saw Benjamin and Father, and they have not one mark, wound, scar, or blemish on them. They are whole — as whole as I am now!"
Martha's hand flew to her mouth as she gasped, "They are whole?"
"Perfectly whole."
The words "He restoreth my soul" swept over her, and she thought, How wonderful. God even restores broken bodies.
Martha regained her composure and began slowly breathing again. She sat lost in her thoughts as she contemplated how good it would be to see, for once and for all, the unblemished forms of
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Ben and father. It would be like looking at Lazarus now, she thought. She turned toward him, and her vision blurred with happy tears.
Mary's chin was resting in her hands, and she did not move them as she questioned, "Then, with seeing everyone so well and having once experienced the wonder of Sheol, was it wrong for us to wish you back here with us?"
Her keen discernment took him by surprise, but he eased her worry with a short laugh and said, "I certainly might have thought so for a moment or two while I was vainly trying to get unwound from those grave clothes, but one look at your surprised and joyous faces eased any doubts about returning.
"There is something else," he said and grew sober with his inner thoughts. "I've just had time to reflect on and realize this, but I now know I will never again be afraid of death and dying. It has lost its terror, for I have seen how it really is.
"You must not fear death either," he said, looking deeply into each face. "The righteous, the just, the believers need not fear the transition time or the breaking of earthly ties. There's so much more to come for the man or woman who loves God. Do not fear the moment."
He leaned back away from the table, and looking absently at the ceiling beams, he finished by saying, "At this time I'm not sure how I shall serve the Lord or in what manner I shall spend the rest of my days but...." Then looking into their faces he said, "Dear ones, he brought me back for a reason, and I intend to not fail him."
For a long time they sat there trying to absorb all his words. Each person was filled with the awesome hope of resurrection. Somehow their burdens of grief were lighter than they had ever been, and old wounds were quietly healed. online books christian books
